red

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Having the color of blood or a ripe tomato, at the warm end of the rainbow.

   Grammar: Comparative redder, superlative reddest.

   Patterns

   • red apple
   • bright red

   She wore a red scarf in the snow.

   The traffic light turned red.

   The sunset painted the sky deep red.

2. 2nouncountable or uncountable

   The color of blood, or a thing of this color.

   Grammar: Uncountable for the color; countable for shades: several reds.

   Patterns

   • dressed in red
   • a shade of red

   The room was painted in red.

   Red is my favorite color.

   The artist mixed several reds.

3. 3adjectivecomparable

   Having skin or eyes that look pink or flushed because of embarrassment, anger, sunburn or illness.

   Grammar: Usually after a linking verb: his face went red.

   Patterns

   • go red
   • turn red

   He went red when everyone laughed.

   Her eyes were red from crying.

   My shoulders are red after a day at the beach.

4. 4adjectivebefore a nounold-fashionedinformal

   Connected with communism or left-wing politics, sometimes used negatively.

   Grammar: Often capitalized; dated.

   Patterns

   • the Red Army

   The Red Army marched through the city.

   Critics called him a red.

   The Red Scare gripped America.

5. 5adjectiveidiombusiness

   Showing financial loss or debt, as in in the red.

   Grammar: Used in the phrase in the red.

   Patterns

   • in the red

   The shop has been in the red for months.

   After the holidays, my account was in the red.

   The company finally came out of the red.

Word forms

Common combinations

red light

The driver stopped at the red light.

red tape

We got stuck in red tape.

in the red

The business is in the red.

red flag

His lie was a red flag.

see red

I saw red when I read the insult.

red carpet

They rolled out the red carpet.

Synonyms and how they differ

crimson

Crimson is a deep, rich red, more literary than red.

scarlet

Scarlet is a bright red with a slight orange tint.

ruby

Ruby is a deep red like the gem.

flushed

Flushed describes a face made red by emotion or heat.

Opposites

Word family

redden verb

to become or make red

reddish adjective

somewhat red

redness noun

the state of being red

redhead noun

a person with red hair

Commonly confused: red or read?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “red”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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